Sikhye (Traditional Korean Rice Drink) – Super Easy Recipe with Tea Bags
Making Traditional Sikhye Effortlessly with Tea Bags at Home
Introducing an incredibly simple recipe to enjoy traditional Sikhye at home without any hassle, using convenient tea bags. With freshly cooked rice and malt tea bags, you can easily create this sweet and refreshing homemade drink!
Ingredients- Malt tea bags: 5
- Freshly cooked rice: For 2 servings (approx. 2 bowls)
- Water: 2500ml (2.5 liters)
- Sugar: 500ml (sweetness adjustable)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare the rice that will form the base of your Sikhye. If you prefer a stickier texture, you can mix in glutinous rice. I personally like Sikhye with distinct rice grains, so I used regular white rice. About two bowls’ worth, for two servings, is usually sufficient.
Step 2
Pour 2 liters (2000ml) of water into the prepared rice. Use a spatula to stir thoroughly, ensuring the rice grains break down and become soft. It’s important to break up any clumps of rice.
Step 3
While the traditional method involves dissolving malt powder in water to ferment, we’ll use commercially available malt tea bags for a much simpler approach. This eliminates a lot of the fussy steps.
Step 4
I’ve prepared 5 malt tea bags. These bags contain malt that’s processed to effectively extract its flavor and aroma. Simply place all 5 tea bags into the rice and water mixture.
Step 5
Transfer the mixture with the malt tea bags into a rice cooker. Set the rice cooker to the ‘keep warm’ mode and let it ferment for about 8 hours. Keep in mind that rice cookers can vary in temperature, so allow ample time for the rice grains to ferment and soften with the malt.
Step 6
After 8 hours, open the rice cooker. You should see the rice grains floating on top of a clear liquid, indicating that it has fermented nicely. This is the sign of well-fermented Sikhye.
Step 7
First, carefully remove and discard the malt tea bags. Pour the fermented liquid, along with the rice grains, into a pot. Add an additional 500ml of water, bringing the total liquid volume to 2.5 liters.
Step 8
Next, add 500ml of sugar and bring the mixture to a boil. You can adjust the amount of sugar to your preference. It’s often best to start with less and add more after tasting. You can always add sweetness later!
Step 9
As the Sikhye begins to boil, foam will appear on the surface. Skim off this foam thoroughly. Removing the foam will result in a clearer and cleaner-tasting Sikhye. The more you skim, the smoother the flavor.
Step 10
You don’t need to boil it for too long. Once the foam is skimmed and it comes to a gentle boil, turn off the heat immediately. Let the Sikhye cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate. Enjoy your cold, refreshing homemade Sikhye!
